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ranks as one of the last remnants of the old “big car, big horse-
power” era. It combined a large-for-its-time V-8 with ample
horsepower, rear-wheel drive and full-frame construction.
Unlike some production versions of show cars, the SS was
not a watered-down, wimped-out version. The 260-hp version
of the 350-cid LT1 came standard and was attached to a 4L60-
E automatic transmission. The wheels were special 17 x 8.5-
inch units like those on the show car. They were wrapped with
P255/50ZR17 tires.
Four-wheel ventilated disc brakes were used at all four cor-
ners, as were stiffer coil springs and DeCarbon shocks similar
to those on the Camaro Z28. The result was a 20 percent stiffer
suspension, much better handling and a still-comfortable ride.
From the police car parts bin came front and rear anti-roll bars
and other hardware aimed at going fast on straight or curved
roads.
Chevrolet listed a 0-to-60-mph time of 7.1 seconds, but a
spirited Car & Driver crew got a 6.5-second run and a quar-
ter-mile of 15 seconds with a 92 mph trap speed. A couple
of prototype SS examples were even quicker. GM put a 502
big-block in a test car and got 0-to-60 mph in 6.0 seconds
and a 14.5-second quarter-mile at 98.2 mph. Horsepower was
claimed to be 385.
The late-model Impala SS cost $22,495 and turned out to
be a small-volume niche car in the GM scheme of things. For
the model’s fi rst year, 6,303 units were built. Of course, instant
collector status was assured for the Impala SS. We may not see
anything like it again, at least from General Motors.1994 Dodge Viper RT/10
Buying a Dodge Viper RT/10 roadster 25 years ago was an
expensive proposition. The dealer wholesale price of the hot-
looking Dodge climbed to $47,450 and the suggested retail
price went up to $54,500. Even at that, many of the cars were
sold for prices well above what it said on the factory window
sticker. The destination charge remained at $700 and the gas
guzzler tax was once again $2,100.
Production nearly tripled in the Viper’s third season and
Dodge produced a grand total of 3,083 Viper RT/10 roadsters
in the 1994 model year.
Sure, they were expensive to buy, were terrible on gas,
were a bear to drive (at least on a daily basis) and basically
impractical in every way imaginable. But what these cars did,
they did well: Look cool and go fast. The 1994 Viper RT/10
roadster accelerated from 0-to-60 mph in 4.6 seconds and blis-
tered the quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds at 113.8 mph. It had a
top speed of 165 mph.
Today, you could wear Crocs with black socks and your
stupidest pair of shorts and still look cool piloting a ’94 Viper
RT/10.
You remember that girl who broke your heart back when
you were young (or heck, last year, when you weren’t so
young)? Get yourself one of these babies and go drive past
her house.1994 Dodge Viper RT/10